This invention relates to laser sighting devices, and particularly to the actuation of a weapon accessory, such as a flashlight removably mounted on the weapon, by the sighting beam of a laser sighting device.
Law enforcement and military organizations often find it necessary to perform armed operations in darkness or low-light conditions. To ensure that their mission is carried out properly, successfully and safely, the operational personnel often employ flashlights to illuminate a potential target in the event use of a weapon becomes necessary. It is awkward and restrictive to hold a flashlight in one hand and a weapon in the other. Consequently, flashlight attachments to weapons have been developed such that a flashlight is actually mounted on the weapon, pointing the same direction as the barrel of the weapon, so that a potential target can be illuminated by pointing the weapon generally in the direction of the target with one hand, leaving the other hand free. Ordinarily, such devices provide for the flashlight to be removably mounted on the weapon so that it does not limit weapon flexibility when it is not needed.
It is now common in law enforcement and certain military operations for weapons to be equipped with a laser sighting device, that is, a laser mounted on the weapon that propagates a relatively narrow, intense laser light beam to a target so as to produce a spot on the target essentially where the projectile will intercept the target if the weapon is discharged. This enables the weapon to be aimed precisely by pointing the weapon so that the spot lies on the target at the point where the person using the weapon wants the projectile to strike the target. Such a laser sighting device is disclosed, for example, in Toole et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,091.
While a laser sighting device provides an aiming function, it does not provide an illuminating function. Consequently, it is often desirable to equip a weapon with both a laser sighting device and a flashlight attachment. Both of these types of devices require electrical power from a battery. For this and a number of other reasons, not the least of which is often a need for stealth, these devices are only actuated when they are needed. To actuate these devices, switches are required. To activate these devices with the same hand with which the weapon is gripped, one or more switches should be mounted on the weapon where the weapon is gripped, together with wiring from the switches to the accessories. In the case of a handgun, the switches should be mounted on the handgrip.
Various devices have been developed for removably mounting a flashlight on a weapon. For example, Sharrah et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,555; Christiansen U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,683; and Fell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,875, all disclose devices for attachment of a flashlight to the bottom of the handgrip of a handgun. However, these devices may interfere with gripping the handgun, render holstering the handgun difficult, and require either that the flashlight be switched on, or actuated, with a hand other than the gripping hand or by a dedicated switch, separate from any switch required for a laser sighting device, disposed on the handgrip.
Other flashlight attachment devices have been designed for mounting either on the barrel of a rifle or under the barrel and frame of a handgun. In the case of a handgun, the flashlight is typically attached to a forward portion of the handgun frame by rails provided in the frame for mounting an accessory or by an adaptor for mounting the flashlight accessory. This arrangement is particularly convenient because it does not interfere with a user""s hand grip and is more readily adapted for holstering. A device of this type is shown by Teetzel U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,105. In Teetzel a flashlight is removably mounted on a laser sighting device that is attached under the barrel and frame of a weapon, and the flashlight attachment may be actuated simultaneously with the laser sighting device by an infrared light source in the sighting device coupled to the flashlight attachment. However, a drawback to this approach is that a physical connection between the handgrip and the front part of the frame of the weapon is required to switch the laser and flashlight on from the handgrip. Such a connection, whether by electrical wiring, optical waveguide, or mechanical link adds weight, may require undue modification of the weapon, and may be inconvenient.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system that actuates a flashlight removably attached on or under the barrel or frame of a weapon for actuation from a handgrip without bulky and inconvenient wiring or other physical connection between a switch on the handgrip and the flashlight.
The present invention meets the aforementioned need by providing a system that employs the beam generated by a laser sighting device to actuate a flashlight mounted on or under the barrel or frame of a weapon, or some other accessory mounted on the weapon, so that operation of a switch to actuate the laser also actuates the accessory, without the need for a physical connection between a switch on the handgrip of the weapon and the accessory. A light probe, adapted to be mounted on the weapon proximate the optical pathway of a beam of light generated by a laser sighting device, is provided for detecting the beam of light and producing in response thereto a detection signal. A reference light sensor is provided for receiving ambient light and producing an ambient light signal. An actuation circuit, adapted to be mounted on the weapon, is provided for receiving the detection signal and, in response thereto, actuating an electrical accessory mounted on the weapon. The actuation circuit compares the difference between the detection signal and the ambient light signal to an actuation threshold, and actuates a flashlight or other accessory when that difference exceeds the actuation threshold. The actuation circuit also compares an ambient light signal to a deactuation threshold and inhibits actuation of the accessory when the ambient light signal exceeds that deactuation threshold.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved system and method for actuating a weapon accessory with the sighting beam produced by a laser sighting device.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system that uses the sighting beam of a laser sighting device to actuate a flashlight assembly removably mounted on the weapon wherein the laser is mounted near the handgrip of the weapon and the flashlight assembly is mounted on or under the barrel or frame of the weapon.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for actuating a flashlight accessory for a weapon by the sighting beam of a laser sighting device, wherein actuation is relatively insensitive to ambient light.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.